“We’re going to hold our players accountable for everything they do on the field and off the field,” Fedora said. “We also have very high expectations for guys in this program and they didn’t meet those expectations.”

According to Yahoo Sports, walkon wide receiver Jackson Boyer suffered a concussion as the result of “an alleged physical assault with multiple teammates” earlier this month at the Chapel Hill hotel at which the team was staying during preseason camp.

Boyer

UNC officials issued a statement Tuesday afternoon acknowledging that the university was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident and that it planned to take the allegations seriously.

When asked about the timing of Wednesday’s suspensions, Fedora said that he had gotten “to a point where I had enough information where I could make that decision.”

He added that the one-game suspensions were “a closed book as far as football” is concerned and that he had no plans to discipline any other team members. The coach did, however, leave open the possibility that UNC’s Office of Student Affairs could still take further action against Lawrence, Walker, Stewart and Miles pursuant to the school’s official hazing policy.

“The office of Student Affairs is handling that and I am not privy to that information,” Fedora said. “That (investigation) may continue to be going at this time. … It is totally that office.”

Lawrence and Walker, both sophomores, were slated to be the Tar Heels’ starting cornerbacks for Saturday’s game. Stewart, a true freshman, was slated to see action as a backup while Miles, a redshirt freshman, is a reserve at the hybrid Ram position.

Stewart

Miles

Their absence from the lineup will leave UNC shorthanded in the secondary against the Flames. It’s a distraction Fedora said his team will have to overcome.

“Any time you have some starters that aren’t going to play in the game, it’s going to affect the team,” Fedora said. “It will be an opportunity for guys that are backing them up to step up and make some plays. It will be a great team to see what the team does and how we respond to the adversity that we have created for ourselves.”

This latest incident is another in a growing list of missteps, including an ongoing university and NCAA probe into allegations of academic misconduct, that have resulted in sanctions against the football program and irreparable harm to the reputation of its entire university.

Hard hitting justice from Coach Pedora. I love how he tries to convince us that it is a big punishment because it is four starters, it’s against Liberty for crying out loud. Reality is, if not for the news catching this story, there would not have been any punishment at all.